1. Contextual survey – A multifaceted approach to requirement
analysis
Prashanth KS, Ananth Karthik S, Ganesh Rajendran, Sajeev CP, Manju Bhargavi
Engineering and Industrial Services
Tata Consultancy Services
Salarpuria Jal Building, 69/2, Mahadevapura, Whitefield Road, Bangalore 560 066, India.
Tel: 91 080 6724 5343, Fax: 91 80 6724 5502
Abstract
Innovative products are launched at the blink of an eye to meet the ever demanding needs of customers.
Companies bloom on innovation, and business grows when customer needs are fulfilled. Every company is
involved in satisfying the needs of customers, and customer feedback forms an integral part of the product
development life cycle. Utmost importance is given to customer feedback, and products are developed after
taking inputs from the customers.
In the present scenario, user needs keep changing frequently. Therefore, the regular Voice of Customer (VoC)
does not capture all the needswants of the customer. This is where the benefits of contextual survey come into
play. Contextual survey aids in assessing the entire range of requirements and wants of the customer. This study
helps companies to understand how a product is used/misused. Hence, contextual survey is considered as a key
research method which serves as a catalyst for the development of innovative ideas, thereby adding more value
to the customer.
Today, the world is battling the threat of Swine flu (H1N1 virus). The World Health Organization (WHO) has
confirmed nearly 1000 cases till date, and the count is increasing. The disease is spreading far and wide. A
common place where bacteria and germs thrive is in toilets. High importance has to be given to hygiene levels at
toilets. This inspired the team to dwell into current method of toilet cleaning and the need of a new product.
As per the market survey and VoC, 74 percent of people in our hometown use western toilets and most of them
do not want to clean the toilet by themselves for various reasons such as (bad smell, apathy towards cleaning
toilet bowls, sight of dirt, and so on). Moreover, cleaning requires a lot of physical effort. This triggered the
need for an innovative product which would help in cleaning western closets.
A contextual survey was done on the process of cleaning western closets. Videos were captured when the
cleaning was done and interviews were conducted with the cleaners. It was inferred that the process is done
manually with substandard equipment, and cleaners were not interested in doing such a job because of the
unhygienic conditions in the toilet.
Based on the above survey it was decided that we need a product which is automated; to improve effectiveness
of the cleaning and to minimize human interaction.

2. 1. Introduction
Product design starts with gathering information about customer needs and expectations. Where needs exist,
there are requirements. These requirements are captured through interviews, questionnaires, surveys and various
other techniques. A thorough and intimate understanding of the VoC helps in differentiating between a runaway
success and failure.
However, the above mentioned techniques do not give a complete picture of the customer’s requirements by
themselves. To support the cause, we need an in-depth study of the surroundings and circumstances (context) in
which the product will be used. Contextual analysis is the essential channel for strengthening the VoC by
identifying the
wants that customers fail to mention in traditional interviews
environment in which the product will be used
This paper describes how contextual analysis is done and the benefits derived from it, thereby reinforcing the
need for an Automatic Western Closet Cleaner.
2. Background
Hygiene is not only an important aspect of our lives, but also an area of individual sensitivity. One of the
common areas where germsbacteria exist is a washroom. Often, activities like maintaining hygiene in the
washroom slip our scrutiny due to the frequency of use. The following figure depicts the percentage of
contamination on various surfaces in a washroom.
Fig.1 Surface Contamination
In Fig.1, we see that the areas that are most prone to contamination are the toilet seat, flushing rims and bowl.
Maintaining high levels of hygiene in these areas is very critical. Everyday, we use the toilet many times but
when it comes to cleaning toilets, the human mind is not comfortable. In particular, cleaning the closet
(western/Indian style) is not done voluntarily by any person, because of various factors.
Closets are usually soiled and stained because of human waste, and minerals/contaminants present in the water.
Generally, brushes are used to remove stains and clean the closet. If stains are thick, abrasive material or
acids/caustics are used. Sometimes, these chemicals release fumes which make it more unpleasant for the
cleaner. Controlling hygiene in the toilets is also very important when patients with infectious diseases use the
toilet. Disinfectants have to be sprayed to every crevice of the closet to ensure that good hygiene is maintained.
No matter how well the cleaning is done, the above process is time consuming and is extremely unpleasant to the
cleaner.

3. 3. Voice of the Customer
The VoC was captured through multiple ways such as distributing questionnaires, interviewing people and
online surveys. The sample audience contained a range of people from toilet cleaners to professionals and family
members in urban areas. The audience consisted of both male and female gender. The following are the key
highlights of the VoC:
71%
22%
2%
5%
Yes
No
Can't Say
Other
Responses 86%
12%
2%
Yes
No
Cant say
Fig.2 Customer Satisfaction Fig.3 Reduce Human Intervention
Apathy towards cleaning
17%
Dif f iculty in cleaning edges
and corners
6%
Time consuming process
6%
Quantity of water required is
more
6%
Inef f ectiv e cleaning process
6%
Noisome smell
6% Remov ing dirt f rom bristles
53%
Fig.4 Pain Points
Following are some of the limitations in the above VoC:
Factors causing discomfort to the cleaner could not be captured completely
Verification of the hygiene level maintained
Since this is a sensitive topic, it was noticed that people are not comfortable with sharing
information regarding cleaning closets.
To obtain more information about the above limitations, reinforce data from the VoC, and to capture the un-
stated needs, the team did a contextual survey to identify pain-points in the cleaning of a western toilet bowl.
Contextual survey serves as the bridge between what customers say and do. The team passively observed by
capturing videos of the cleaning process at multiple locations. The factors affecting the cleaning process were
captured in these videos, and are described in this paper.
The outcome of any survey is based on the audience and environment sample that is chosen. This, in turn,
determines the success or failure of any product. For this survey, hotels, corporate offices, malls, trains, houses
and apartments were classified into various strata, and depending on the frequency of use, weightage was
assigned to each strata.

4. 4. Contextual Survey
The Contextual survey done here is broadly classified under the following criteria:
People
Environment
Processes
Other products
Fig.5 Boundary Diagram
Fig.5 denotes the different elements interacting with the product element (western closet). It divides the
boundary between the product and the surroundings. It helps in capturing the elements outside the boundary,
which may become a potential causeeffect of worry.
4.1 People
Mainly, two people interact with the closet, the first is the user and the other is the cleaner. Even though the
user’s interaction with the closet is limited to using the closet, the user tends to avoid eye contact with the dirt.
The cleaner's objective is to clean the closet by removing dirt/stains. In order to clean, the cleaner should identify
the location of deposits of dirt/stains. This is not a convenient task as the human mind is not willing to see
unpleasant things. Also, foul smell emanating from the closet is something that the cleaner is not comfortable
with. The above two can be observed by unpleasant facial expressions and covering of the nose with the hand
which is captured in the video.
It is also observed that when cleaning, water splashes on the cleaner, which is a major concern from hygiene
aspects. Added to the above complication, the cleaner has to strain himself to approach the crevices of the closet.
If the closet has not been cleaned over a long period, cleaning will be vigorous and will consume more time.
When the number of closets to be cleaned is very few, the level of quality maybe maintained. However, in case
of large number of closets, the task is repetitive and tiresome, thereby reducing the quality of the job. User
fatigue increases based on the number of closets and cleanliness of the closets. It was observed that a recreation
for the user would reduce fatigue. To maintain privacy, it was noticed that people at home were not willing to let
an outsider do the cleaning process. From a cultural aspect, it was observed that some family members take bath
after cleaning the closet.
Findings
Difficulty in accessing the different crevices of the closet, the strain caused during the cleaning process, water
splashing on the hands and assessing the quality of cleaning are the factors that were captured in contextual
survey under this criteria.
Western Closet
Cleaning Soln.
Homes
Corporate
Hotels
Hospitals
Railway Bogeys
User
Cleaner
Brush
Scrub pad
Cloth
People
Other Products
Environment

5. 4.2 Environment/Location
Western closets are now used in residential homes, hotels, public restrooms, corporate buildings, hospitals,
railway coaches and so on. Based on their usage, the cleaning frequency varies.
In houses, it has been noticed that toilets are built after considering aspects like ventilation and user comfort.
Also, due to water shortage, the toilets are cleaned with the least amount of water possible.
In corporate buildings and hotels, for better utilization of space, toilets are much smaller. Ventilation aspects, in
some cases, are not given proper consideration making it imperative for cleaners to step out occasionally for
some fresh air. In hospitals, extra care is taken for providing good ventilation to maintain high levels of hygiene.
However, in such buildings, water supply is not a constraint as these buildings are assured uninterrupted supply.
In public restrooms and railway coaches, space is a major constraint. Besides, the former is plagued by water
shortage problems that make cleaning and maintenance of the restrooms a difficult task.
Findings
In all of the above locations, it was observed that because of reasons such as constrained space, poor
ventilation and inadequate water supply, the cleaning processes followed varied, affecting the hygiene levels.
Also, after cleaning the closets, in most of the cases, water was splashed or spilt on the floor leaving the floor
wet. This added the task of cleaning the floor after cleaning the closet.
4.3 Process
The processes followed in various locations differ to a great extent. In houses, the cleaning process varies based
on the cleaner (self or family member or maid). In corporate buildings and hotels the cleaning is performed on a
periodic basis. In hospitals, after the closets are cleaned, the toilets are disinfected to prevent transfer of diseases.
In public restrooms, water is poured into the closets (Indian/western) to clean them. In railway coaches, water is
sprayed at high pressure into the closets to clean them.
Findings
The levels of cleanliness and hygiene differ in each environment based on the cleaner and process. Quality of
the work is assessed visually.
4.4 Other Products
The products commonly used to clean closets can be classified into the following two categories:
Cleaning aids (brush, scrub pads, cleaning solvents, cloth)
Protective gear (Gloves, mask)
4.4.1 Brushes
Brushes of different shapes and sizes are used to scrub and remove the stains. It has been observed that no single
brush has been designed to reach every crevice of the closet. The brushes had the following constraints:
Inadequate length – Requiring the cleaners to bend, bringing them physically closer to the
closet, thus causing discomfort
Post cleaning problems – Cleaning the bristles of brushes
Storage issues - Storing the brush while not in use
4.4.2 Scrub Pads, Cleaning Solvents, and Air Fresheners
Scrub pads are used to clean toilet seats and other areas and the seats are wiped dry by using a piece of cloth.
Cleaning solvents are poured unevenly and without any measure. Infact, in some cases, manufacturers of
cleaning solvents recommend repeated use of the solvent (2-3 times) for every wash. This, in most cases, causes
foaming reducing visibility making cleaning difficult. Gloves and masks help protect the user and maintain good
hygiene. Finally, air fresheners help clear the bad smell.

6. Often the cleaning aids are misused as the work progresses. Normally, brushes are used to clean the interiors of
the closet, but in certain cases the cleaner uses the same brush for the toilet seat also. Similarly, the scrub pads
that are meant to be used to clean the closet seats are often used to clean the interiors of the closet.
Also, though the protective gear is meant to prevent the spread of germs, the cleaner often, after cleaning the
interiors/exteriors of the closet, touches the health faucet, toilet paper and the flush knob while still wearing the
gear. This raises serious hygiene concerns. Furthermore, in some cases, due to the lack of proper cleaning aids,
the same brushes are used for cleaning the inside and outside of the closets, the closet seats and also for cleaning
the washbasins.
Findings
Cleaning aids are often misused, thereby adversely affecting hygiene.
During the survey, while researching the above four criterions (People, Environment, Processes, and Other
products) the team faced the following challenges:
Building a rapport with people
Communicating with people in different local languages
Encouraging people to disclose complete details
Overcoming negative reactions
Capturing the cleaning process
Examining unhygienic restrooms
5. Conclusion
On doing a contextual survey for this social problem, we identified a lot of customer requirements that until now
had eluded the normal requirements gathering (VoC) methods. The following are the highlights of the survey:
The cleaner is forced into close proximity with the dirty closet
Accessibility to every nook and corner of the closet is difficult
Conventional brushes are not easy to use and cause fatigue
Water from the closet often splashes onto the floor/cleaner raising hygiene issues
The cleaning solvents foam thereby hampering visibility
The area around the closet affects the cleaning process
Even disciplined cleaners misuse the cleaning aids
The contextual analysis helped us understand how customers perform certain tasks or use products. The above
data was used for analysing specific patterns which were used to generate ideas about the functions and features,
product line and strategy relevant to the customer context. Since these ideas were generated earlier in the
process, this survey helped us understand the market with fresh eyes. The above study and findings prove that
contextual survey compliments VoC in capturing all unstated and stated needs of customers, thereby ensuring a
robust product. This contextual survey improved our thought process about developing the Automatic Western
Closet Cleaner.
References
[1] http://www.gdspublishing.com/ic_pdf/fsa/rein.pdf FSA 41-Surface Contamination